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Friday, September 13, 2013

Senior Nathan Tucker prepares for football season

Since he started
playing football in middle school, Ripley Vikings’ senior linebacker, Nathan
Tucker, has loved the “competitive atmosphere” surrounding the game. After
suffering a torn ACL during his sophomore year, he played one game with it torn
then required reconstructive surgery. He had to go through pre-surgery therapy
to strengthen for surgery then afterwards he started walking again the next day.
Before he could return to football, he first had to get the swelling down and
flexibility back. He continued with strength exercises to do so. He started
squatting weights and built up to running long distances. Finally he could
start cutting and jumping again.

“The mental part is the
hardest,” Tucker said. “You have to trust your new knee and act just like it’s
the original. A lot of guys had the same or similar injury and the best thing
about being injured was that you get to mentor these guys.”

He has visited each and
plans on going to the U.S. Naval Academy, West Point, the U.S. Air Force
Academy, or the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Acceptance into these schools is only
by appointment and must be nominated by Senators and the House of
Representatives. If accepted, schooling is completely paid for. After four
years of schooling, he must serve five years.

Tucker’s favorite
memory in football was during his junior year when beating Ravenswood in
overtime.